Rescue workers have recovered the body of a female victim believed to be a student following the collapse of the three-storey Elite Five Star Lodge in Amokpala, Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Emergency responders also confirmed that the body of a young man, also believed to be a student, has been located beneath the rubble but had yet to be recovered as search-and-rescue operations continued on Monday.
The privately owned hostel, which collapsed late Sunday night, was reportedly occupied by students and other residents.
A joint rescue team comprising the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the Anambra State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, other security agencies and operatives of the Operation Udo Ga-Achi security outfit remained at the scene.
Using heavy-duty excavators and other specialised equipment, emergency workers continued to clear the debris in a coordinated effort to locate anyone who might still be trapped while ensuring the safety of rescue personnel.
The atmosphere around the site remained tense as anxious residents, students and sympathisers gathered nearby, hoping for more survivors.
Security operatives cordoned off the area to prevent interference and allow emergency responders unrestricted access as efforts continued to account for everyone who was inside the building when it collapsed.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, Mrs. Ndidi Omega, confirmed the recovery of the female victim and said the body of the young man had been located beneath the rubble.
She added that three injured victims had earlier been rescued from the collapsed building and taken to hospital for treatment.
Omega said rescue operations would continue until every section of the debris had been thoroughly searched.
The Anambra State Police Command also appealed to residents to remain calm, refrain from spreading unverified information and allow emergency responders to carry out their work without obstruction, assuring the public that further updates would be provided as more verified information becomes available.
This version strengthens the lead by foregrounding the confirmed fatality, avoids repetitive references to the rescue operation, and follows a cleaner inverted-pyramid structure appropriate for a developing news story.
